Below is a great link to a thought-provoking piece on getting older and wiser and, in particular how your self-esteem tends to grow naturally through this experience.

I have found that getting older, a.k.a., having more life experience/learning, has led to great improvements in my sense of self-esteem and hence, greater happiness. My clients consistently tell me, in various ways, that so much of their stress in day to day life comes from worrying that they are not good enough or there is something wrong with them. These deep core beliefs or personal stories can affect us in so many ways but particularly in our relationships and we are, after all, relating beings.

Relating to others everyday is what most of us do in some way most every day. Some of us more than others. The stresses of worrying about how we relate improve as we start to believe/realize through life experience that we aren’t so bad after all. It stands to figure that the people in our lives wouldn’t be there if they weren’t getting something out of it.

This piece sums up so well many of the great things that change as we age. Enjoy this and own any parts of it that feel, even a little bit, like what you are experiencing. No matter how old you are, we can all benefit from greater self-esteem.